MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- Sophomore Daniel Elliott (2-0) continued to lead the Christopher Newport baseball team on both sides of the ball as he picked up the win and chipped in a 1-for-3 effort with an RBI at the dish as the Captains raced past Neumann University (2-2) at The Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, S.C., 9-1. Elliott tossed 2.1 scoreless innings of relief and sophomore Scott Crosson blasted a grand slam to highlight an eight run outburst late in the game on Thursday afternoon. 

The Captains won their fifth straight and eighth game in the last nine to improve to 8-4 on the season with the win. The pitching staff pitched another gem with three arms combining to allow just one unearned run on five hits with 13 strikeouts on the day. 

Starting things off on the right foot was Thomas Wells, who faced the minimum through the first five innings of work. Locked in a pitcher's duel early, Wells did his part for the Captains with a stellar start on the bump. After giving up a lead-off single, he erased the runner with a groundball double play and then ended the first with a pop-up to first base. In the second, Wells imposed himself on the Neumann batters by striking out the side. 

The veteran got the first out in the third before giving up another single, but again, used the defense behind him and got an inning-ending double play. Wells worked quickly through the fourth with a grounder, strikeout, and fly out for his fourth straight 1-2-3 inning. He struck out the first batter in the fifth before a runner reached on an error. Like twice before, Wells induced a double-play to get through five frames having faced just 15 batters. 

CNU finally broke through on the offensive side in the top of the sixth when Elliott kicked things off with a single and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Kevin Mackmin. Two batters later, Jay Cassady stepped in and put the Captains on top, 1-0, with an RBI single. 

Neumann tied the game on Wells in the bottom of the sixth with an unearned run courtesy of a pair of errors. He was lifted for Elliott with two outs in the inning after a masterful start going 5.2 innings with 3 hits allowed and five strikeouts. Elliott promptly closed out the inning with a strikeout, stranding a pair, to ensure Wells would get the no decision. 

The Captains' bats came alive in the top of the seventh with three runs on three hits before adding five more on three hits in the eighth. Crosson was a part of both innings as he followed a Conner Clark single with a base knock of his own. Justin Bowers then stepped up and delivered, as he has throughout the first portion of the season, a huge extra-base hit for the Captains when he tripled to put the Captains ahead, 3-1. The third baseman now has nine extra-base hits in his first ten games as a Captain. 

Bowers would trot home on a sacrifice fly by Elliott as the sophomore gave himself a little more cushion and made the score 4-1. On the mound, Elliott then cruised through the seventh by striking out the side and returned the now hot bats for CNU back to the plate. 

Second baseman Justin Liakos and Cassady led off with a pair of walks and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Will Pellegrino. After another pair of walks by Jonathan Fisher and Conner Clark, Crosson stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded. His second career home run came in a big moment as Crosson's round-tripper drove in four and blew the game open for the Captains, taking a 9-1 lead. 

Now fully in control of the game, Elliott went back to the mound in the eighth and worked around a pair of singles with two more K's and a fly out. He closed his day in line for the win with 2.1 innings pitched, two hits and a walk allowed while striking out six batters. For the season, Elliott has 28 strikeouts in 14.2 innings pitched for an impressive 17.2 K/9 rate. 

In the bottom of the ninth, Colin D'Arcy made his debut for the Captains and the freshman slammed the door on the Knights with a 1-2-3 inning. D'Arcy struck out two and got a groundball out to second base to finish out the win. 

Three Captains posted multi-hit performances with Clark, Crosson, and Bowers each picking up two knocks each. Crosson drove in four and scored twice while Bowers drove in a pair and scored once. Also in the game, Hunter Trimarchi secured his first collegiate hit with a pinch hit appearance in the eighth. 

Christopher Newport will be back in action on Sunday, March 6 as the Captains wrap up a seven-game road trip with a game at Gallaudet University. First pitch against the Bison on Sunday is set for 1:00 pm.